Carole was born and raised in Charlotte, NC and attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Science. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Computer Science from DePaul University in Chicago. As she was preparing to change careers she earned a master’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from UGA and a Specialist’s Degree in Teaching and Learning from Piedmont College. She started her career in computer science in the 1980’s at the same time as personal computers were becoming very popular, but then her husband passed away sometime later, and a career in computer science was not compatible with raising her three young children. She had always wanted to be a teacher, so she went back to school, got her master’s and specialist’s degrees and became a teacher. She is now retired from teaching full time but teaches two nights a week at Foothills Charter High School, the Greene County location.
Carole got into running in her 40s and has been the owner of Classic Race Services since 2010. Classic Race Services times about 100 races a year, helping charities and nonprofits raise funds and support their missions. Carole is a board member with the nonprofit AthFest Educates, which awards grants for music and arts education in Athens. This year she is the Race Director of the AthHalf Half Marathon & 5K, the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser. Carole lives in Watkinsville with her 12 year old Siberian Husky, Deja Vu and two year old rescue from Gwinnett County Jail Dog Program, Maddie. She has three grown children, Carrie, a special ed teacher in Gwinnett County, Michael owner of Michael Black Rolfing in Athens, and Tyer who works at Condor Chocolates and lives in Watkinsville. She has seven grandchildren and has the opportunity to spend time with each of them every week.
What do you love most about your job and the work you do?
Someone once said “if you love what you do then it is not a job it is a passion.” So, at my three passions – Foothills Charter High School as a teacher, my race business Classic Race Services, and the work I do through AthFest Educates, I love helping and serving people. With teaching, I’m helping children who for whatever reason have decided to drop out of school and then made the decision to come back and get a diploma and graduate. That is a wonderful thing for them, and for me it’s very rewarding. With the race business, there’s two groups of people that I love seeing at my races the most: the children, because they are learning about running, and for many of them it will become a lifelong passion. And the older runners. I have an amazingly large number of runners who are 70 and over. They come to the races every single weekend and they are amazing runners. Many of them are struggling with major health issues such as cancer or Parkinson’s disease and with all sorts of different situations in their life that you would never know. I love seeing them and having them at the races. All of my runners are special to me, but those are the two groups that I love serving the most. And then with AthFest Educates, it is contributing to the mission which is to provide high-quality music and arts education for local youth in the Athens community through direct support of school and community-based programs and events.
What are some of your favorite things to do in and around Athens?
Anything that furthers the mission of AthFest Educates is my favorite thing to do. I love working the festival and working the 5K and half marathon. When it’s those times of the year, that’s where you’ll find me. I am very proud to be a board member and provide leadership to the organization. Other than that, it would be the different coffee shops. I hold a lot of meetings in those coffee shops and it’s wonderful having a comfortable place to meet and visit. And I can’t leave out walking through our beautiful University of Georgia. I take my dogs on walks there frequently and I enjoy the beauty of that campus.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go on an extended trip in the United States and visit as many national parks as possible. We have such beautiful opportunities right here in this country..
Do you have a favorite book or a book you find yourself referencing, rereading or gifting often?
This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger. This story takes place during the depression and is a tale of four boys canoeing down the Mississippi River, each of them running away from something in their life but in the end learning about hope, love and family. Kent Krueger is such a good author and makes the story come to life as you read it.
Do you have a favorite movie?
The Sound of Music. That movie just pulls my heartstrings with discovering what it means to be a family and the struggle the von Trapps go through to love and protect their children. My favorite part is when the nuns in the convent sabotage the engines of the German brownshirts as they try to pursue the von Trapp family.
If you could give any advice to your younger self, what would it be?
When I was a single parent raising three young children my mantra was: Take one day at a time. This mantra worked for me then and continues to work for me today. When you are faced with a major obstacle or a challenge in your life, don’t look too far down the road, take one day at a time, and remember that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by the big, major challenge. Break it apart, and take it one step at a time.
If you could eat lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?
It would be my mom. My mom passed away when I was in my twenties. She and I did not have a very close relationship so therefore I don’t know a lot about her. I would take Mom to a restaurant in Charlotte, NC, where she lived the majority of her life and have a long, casual, enjoyable conversation with her about her family, about her and my dad’s young married life during the early years of WWII raising my two brothers and about what she would change in her life if she had the opportunity to do so. I would tell her all about my children that I know she would be so very proud of. But I’ll tell you what I’d love to have more than anything is to get some of her recipes. She made a killer salmon patty, a killer redeye gravy, and a killer Brunswick stew among other things. She was a true southern cook. The one recipe I did get from her is how to make Thanksgiving Dinner. I still pull out my 40 year old handwritten directions on how to fix the turkey, gravy, stuffing, string bean casserole and mashed potatoes. I follow this recipe every year, it continues to turn out perfectly and my family loves it!
What’s something interesting about you that people might not know?
I trained for and ran a marathon the year I turned 50. I’m very proud of that accomplishment. For anyone that is training for a marathon, it’s not the marathon that will kill you but the hours of training that go into it, especially as an older runner. It takes hours and hours of preparation to make sure your body is ready. I’m so proud that I did it. My family supported me through it. I did my marathon, I have the medal, I have the t-shirt, and I don’t ever want to do it again!
What three phrases come to mind when you think of the word “home”?
Safety, family, and Thanksgiving. When I get home, the first thing I do is let out a breath and say “I’m home and I’m safe.” Thanksgiving is my holiday and my children know this well. I want my children and extended family at my home. Christmas, you can do whatever you want, but Thanksgiving is mine. We always have plenty of food and all are welcome!
